John | Chapter 15

John 15: 1-17

“The fruit of the vine”

I. Intro.

II. Vs. 1-6 Cultivating closeness

III. Vs. 7-11 Evidence of fruitfulness  

IV. Vs. 12-17 Love defined


Intro.

In the 14th chapter Jesus spoke to the disciples about hope in heaven while they were in the upper room. I find it interesting that what He is about to tell them happens while they are on the move from the temple to the garden and His message is about how to live in the garden before we get to glory. Being that we are only a few days past Valentines day this section defines for us what kind of love Jesus is speaking of as He declare that love is found in two analogies the vineyard and friendship.  

In 1965 the “Righteous Brothers” sang,  “You’ve lost that loving feeling, Oh, that loving feeling, You’ve lost that loving feeling, Now it’s gone, gone, gone Whoa-oh.” Hey perhaps she lost that “loving feeling” because what her love was just a feeling. I’m reminded The great reformer and evangelist of the 1500 John Knox cried out “Lord, give me Scotland or I’ll die” but what many are unaware is that the Lord responded back with the words, “First die and then I’ll give you Scotland”, love my friends is a decision not just an emotion.  


Vs. 1-6 Cultivating closeness

Vs. 1 It appears based upon 14:31 that Jesus and His disciples left the Upper Room which we believe was in the southwest corner of the city of Jerusalem on the side of Mt. Zion. They would have wound their way through the vineyards that grew around Jerusalem at this time. Further more it was Passover which meant that there was a full moon as they passed through the vineyards, down through the Tyropoeon Valley and around the walls of Jerusalem, through the Kidron Valley then back to Gethsemane’s garden on the Mount of Olives.

Now it is interesting to look at that 31st verse as He said, “But that the world may know that I love the Father, and as the Father gave Me commandment, so I do. Arise, let us go from here.” The first part of the sentence gives the understanding to the first part where He says; “that the world may know that I love the Father” in other words Jesus departure towards the cross would demonstrate His love for the Father and the Father’s love for the world.

There are four different parts to this analogy:

  1. Vs. 1The Vine: In Isaiah 5:1-4 the Lord used this same metaphor concerning Israel saying, “Now let me sing to my Well-beloved A song of my Beloved regarding His vineyard: My Well-beloved has a vineyard On a very fruitful hill. He dug it up and cleared out its stones, And planted it with the choicest vine. He built a tower in its midst, And also made a winepress in it; So He expected it to bring forth good grapes, But it brought forth wild grapes. So Isaiah described Israel as a transplanted vine from Egypt where the Vinedresser took great care in transplanting it so that it would produce fruit and instead it only produced wild grapes. Jeremiah 2:21 the Lord said “I had planted you a noble vine, a seed of highest quality. How then have you turned before Me Into the degenerate plant of an alien vine?” Friends it is so easy for you and me to over evaluate our importance and under value you the Lord. In contrast to this Jesus describes Himself as the “True Vine” He is the original and everything else is at best are branches that get life from being connected to the true vine. Jesus calls Himself the “True Vine” in contrast to Judaism and tells them that you won’t find God in religion you will only find God in a relationship with the Son. Our union with our Lord is a living one that ought to have the characteristic of the vine and carry out the purpose of the vine to bear much fruit.
  2. Vs. 2 The branches: A branch by its self is week and useless, it has no abilities to function apart from it connection to the vine. Most all of the analogies that are given in scripture dealing with the relationship between the believer and Jesus carry the idea of union and communion. There is a necessity for you and me to realize that we are only branches and not the vine as we will see our security, identity, value and purpose all in our abiding union with Jesus and never apart from Him. Abiding means that we allow nothing in our lives that would crimp or cut our connection to Him. 10 times in the first 11 verses Jesus describes this connection as “abiding” the word describes a relationship that “keeps in fellowship with Christ so that His life can work in and through us to produce fruit.” How can one tell if they are abiding?
    1. Vs. 2a Well for one thing they will do what branches do that are connected to the true vine, they will produce fruit.
    1. Vs. 2b Second you will experience the Lords lifting up and pruning.
    1. Vs. 7 You will see you prayer answered
    1. Vs. 11 You will experience joy
    1. Vs. 12 You will have a growing love for the Lord and each other
  3. Vs. 1a-2 The Vinedresser: Jesus says that the vinedresser is the Father and it is His responsibility to care for the vine and its branches. The goal of this is to make it more fruit full by pruning, lifting up and clean the branches. There are two types of branches fruitful ones and fruitless ones. Those that aren’t producing fruit Jesus says He lifts up and those that are producing fruit He prunes so that it would bear more fruit. So times it is necessary to cut away and remove a vine that isn’t producing fruit as it sucks the life away from the branches that are so the vinedresser will cut away the sucker shoots. Other times a branch won’t produce much fruit because it is lying on the ground and isn’t getting enough sun light so that branch needs to be lifted up off the ground and brought under direct sun light. John described them this way in 1 John 2:19 saying, “They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us.” So there are two works of the vinedresser with regards to the vineyard one is lifting off the other is cutting back and both ensure that the vine will produce maximum fruit. You drive through any vineyard and at certain times all you will see is miles of ugly stumps that have been pruned as only the first year branches will bear fruit. The instrument that the Lord uses to do this is the word of God as He cleanses us from all that which is dead in our lives. Jesus paints a picture of the Father lifting you up not cutting you off, of cleaning you up not casting you away! “I lift up the waited down branch, I wash off the contaminated fruit through my word”, Jesus tells them. Our God’s not a butcher He is a Vinedresser! Hey friends the Lord is never closer to you then when He is pruning you to bear much fruit so pray for more fruitfulness and enjoy the process. God is not interested in our works He is interested in our fruit and fruit is produce not by the effort of the vine but rather by its connection to the true vine. The natural result of abiding in Christ is that we will bear much fruit. You never hear an apple tree grunting do you apples come upon the branches with out effort just because they are connect to the tree. It is the responsibility of the Father the vinedresser to make sure that He prunes us and lefts us up from the world in order that we might be more fruitful.
  4. Vs. 2c, 5-6 The fruit: Notice that the by product of this is fruit not results, as fruit is what happens through a relationship and results are what machines do. Branches don’t eat fruit they produce it to serve others so our fruit is the for the benefit of others not ourselves. Then Jesus says “stay close to me, keep connected”. Fruit is produced by abiding not striving or struggling just by keeping connected to the vine. The branch just hangs connected to the vine growing and fruit happens without any effort of the branches part. They knew nothing of John 20:22 where we are told that “He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit”, nor of acts chapter two. So to illustrate this He took up the vines in the vineyard and said, “You have to stay connected to me, in the past people thought they stayed connected to God by being connected with religion but I’m the true vine!” Friends it’s not a connection to an institution that will produce fruit in our lives it’s a connection to God that does that. In this sense, we can say that fruit represents Christian character as seen in Galatians 5:22-23 where we are told what the fruit of the Spirit is, “love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.”  The secret is here brought forth in verse 5 “He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” Paul stated it another way in Philip. 4:13 saying, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”  

Vs. 7-11 Evidence of fruitfulness

Vs. 7-11 Obedience and fruitfulness are the evidence of our Love for Jesus and our receiving His love for us. Our love for Jesus is not a mystical, nor an emotional manifestation it’s intensely practical just as Jesus’ love manifested to us is immensely practical seen in His death upon the cross. Further more the lack of joy can be traced to our not abiding in His love. Ah but our abiding in His love will bring the fullness of joy. Friend, there is nothing more miserable in this world than a Christian who is not abiding in God’s love as he will have to much of Christ to be happy in this world and to much of the world to be happy in Christ. He does not love sin enough to enjoy its pleasures, and does not love Christ enough to relish in His holiness. The joy of Jesus speaks of here is a far cry from how the world defines is in the pleasures of a life of ease. The joy He speaks of is to be found in the exhilaration of being right with God, and the conscious walking in His love and care. In these verses we see four evidences of a fruitful life:

  1. Vs. 7 Prayer: Abiding in the Lord where His words dwells in us well be a constant time of prayer and answered prayer as we trust Him at His word. Prayer is not a way of getting God to do what you want him to do, it is asking him to do what he has promised to do. So when we pray we are doing so in accord to His promises and if we want to make our prayers effective all we need to do is to read and study His promises in His word.
  2. Vs. 8 Witness: When we abide in the Lord and He in us people notice the difference in our lives, we aren’t trying to do so we just are because we are in constant contact with the true vine.
  3. Vs. 9-10 Love: Notice once again the order of love and that is first coming from so that our keeping His commandments springs from abiding in His love. It is as Jude said in Jude 1:21 “keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.” The sense of worthlessness that many people have and mask by bragging and boasting is to cover up their insecurity. Friend as long as you try to feel significant based upon something coming from you it will always lead to insecurity. Why not realize that you are special because of God’s love, you belong to him. Some one put it into a rhyme that goes like this:
  • To live above with those you love: Undiluted glory.
  • To live below with those you know: Quite another story.
  1. Vs. 11 Joy: The last evidence of a fruitful life is joy of living the life in God’s plan and purposes. I can tell you that the joy I believe that Jesus is speaking of here comes when we place substance over style when we desire to count not merely counted.

Vs. 12-17 Love defined

Vs. 12-17 The final analogy the Lord employs is that of friendship. Which is harder, loving people whom you do not like, or loving people who do not like you? The first thing that changes when we abide in Christ is us as we display the fruit of the Spirit. We become more gentle, more gracious, more loving, more easy to live with, more able to cope, more panic-proof. We begin to handle life the way we were intended to do. That is what it means to become Christ like. Jesus is not speaking of a feeling here many folks wait until they have a feeling of affection towards someone but that is not what Jesus is speaking of He is speaking of being so full of His love that we take the initiative to love even if our feeling aren’t there. It is best understood in Jesus’ words “as I have loved you” which means though it is not a feeling neither is it a duty, a job that must get done. It is a love that is called out not upon the person but upon His love that has been shed abroad in our hearts. This kind of love flows from an overwhelming sense of His love towards us. So when you find it difficult to love someone, you just don’t feel in love with them and you could just grin and bear it but it wouldn’t be truthful then you need to simple recall His love towards you, you need to have His love for you replenished. That is what Paul spoke of in Romans 5:5 when he said “Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” Jesus also tells us how we will know that it is His love operating through us:

  1. Vs. 13 Love with out limits: It will go all the way, even to the point of death. This kind of love will never stop half way it will go the distance and exhaust its self before it will stop loving. This kind of love doesn’t stop when expectations are not immediately met; it continues to sacrifice surrendering and laying down its rights in order to love.   
  2. Vs. 14-15 Love without labels: The second way this kind of love will be manifested is with out labels as it will always elevate the person who is being loved beyond what the world may see them our even how they may see themselves. Jesus describes an intimate nature with them that goes way beyond duty to friendship that shares secrets and binds together. Every year here we see the Canadian geese fly over in their familiar “V” pattern there are three remarkable things about these flocks as it relates to the above principal:
    1. There is always a leader who sacrifices himself for the betterment of the flock. He sets the direction and pace.
    2. Second it is never the same leader, they seem to rotate in that position but always with the same goal.
    3. The third thing is that the leader doesn’t honk it is the rest of the birds who do so and it has been suggested that what the other geese are saying is, “Keep it up! You’re doing great! That’s the way to go!” honks of encouragement. 

Friends that is the way we ought to be with each other don’t you think?

  1. Vs. 16 Love with light: Finally we see that our love out to be seen with the potential of what people can be and not just what they are. This is first realized when we see that Jesus says, “You didn’t choose Me, but I chose you”. So we too need to love as a choice based upon what God can and will do in their life through His love. Ah but the second part of this is equally important as Jesus goes on to say, “that you should bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain”. Love that works in such a way that does not just see potential but works in order that they might obtain their purpose as well. And how can these two things be achieved? Well in a word PRAYER by which we ask the Father to grant us.                

John 15:18 – 16:4

“A love, hate relationship”

I. Intro.

II. Vs. 18-20 Truths to counteract the worlds hate

III. Vs. 21-25 Hating His love 

IV. Vs. 26-4 Reminded of His goodness


Intro.

We often fail to realize that we are to bear witness of Jesus not ourselves or win some theological argument, it is the presence of Jesus is our words and works that draws people to surrender their lives to Him. Therefore the most effective way to evangelize people is to be consistently changed by the Holy Spirit working through the word of God in our own life. Oh unfortunate that what many folks reject as being Christianity is well meaning efforts but done in the energy of the flesh that aren’t consistent with the character of Christ. Steve Brown in his book, “What was I Thinking?” said “Theology (no matter how orthodox), a belief statement (no matter how Biblical), and propositions (no matter how exact and correct) are all useless if they don’t lead us to the reality which is God and to the astonishment that ought to be a regular occurrence in the believer’s life.” A.W. Towzer made this observation, “I have reason to suspect that many people are trying to give leadership in Christian churches today without ever having yielded to the wise and effective leading of the Holy Spirit. He truly is the Spirit of wisdom, understanding and counsel. He alone can bring the gracious presence of the living God into our lives and ministries. You may think it out of place for me to say so, but in our churches today we are leaning too heavily upon human talents and educated abilities. We forget that the illumination of the Holy Spirit of God is a necessity, not only in our ministerial preparation, but in the administrative and leadership functions of our churches. We need an infusion of the Spirit of God! We sorely need more of His wisdom, His counsel, His power, His knowledge. We need to reverence and fear the Almighty God. If we knew the full provision and the spiritual anointing that Jesus promised through the Holy Spirit, we would be far less dependent on so many other things…. I have said it before, and I say it now: We need the Holy Spirit more and more, and we need human helps less and less!” It is to this that Jesus addresses His disciples in these verses.


Vs. 18-20 Truths to counteract the worlds hate

Vs. 18-20 The Church was born during a time of Roman rule in which the known world was under their authority. Now the Romans for the most part tolerated the religion form the countries they defeated but as time went on they worshipped Caesar as a God and in fact consider Christians to be atheists for the refusal to worship him. People saw the power and authority of Caesar and thought that he must be a god because of it and every year every Roman citizen had to come and make an offering to Caesar and say “Caesar is Lord” but the Christians wouldn’t say that as they knew “Jesus is Lord”. I rather think the world still struggles with this as it tends to believe that power, popularity and pomp are indications that someone is to be put up on a pedestal. But Jesus said in Matthew 20:25-28 “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you let him be your slave– just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” So we are to treat the world as Jesus treated them speaking the truth in the constant demonstration of His love and be prepared that even in doing this many if not most with hate us, without cause.

One only needs to remember the reaction most of us got form unsaved family and friends when we told them about our new relationship with Jesus. Prior when we told them of our accomplishments our joys they were proud and rejoiced with us but suddenly when we told them of Jesus love at best we got placated “oh that’s so nice” and worst we got hammered with instant resistance. Jesus says three things with regards to this:

  1. Vs. 18 Don’t take it personal: “I know what you’re going through”, Jesus tells them. Back in the 7th chapter of John we are told of His brothers not believing in Him. Then of coarse there was the constant clash between Him and the religious leaders of the day. They called him the son of satan, a blasphemer, a drunkard and an arrogant man. All of that was directed at Jesus personally where the attacks that come our way are directed at Jesus in us not at us personally. I find that a little easier don’t you? I mean when someone attacks us because of Jesus we don’t have to take it personally as it isn’t aimed at us. We can say, “Wow, they really don’t like Jesus!”
  2. Vs. 19 It’s a compliment: If they are hostel towards you because they can see a change in you this is a great thing as it mean’s you’re not the same person you use to be. Well praise God, when the world doesn’t like you any more as it means you are no longer fit for this world. Even though you can’t see any physical changes the world can apparently see the difference and they are letting you know, “Hey, you’re not one of those Jesus freaks are you?” Now the world will try to get you to go back to doing the things they are doing, the things you use to do because if you have been changed that means that they can as well and they loved the darkness more than the light. Listen to how Peter spoke of this in the NLT 1 Peter 4:3-5 “You have had enough in the past of the evil things that godless people enjoy—their immorality and lust, their feasting and drunkenness and wild parties, and their terrible worship of idols. Of course, your former friends are very surprised when you no longer join them in the wicked things they do, and they say evil things about you. But just remember that they will have to face God, who will judge everyone, both the living and the dead.” There was a young Christian being harassed by his friends who were complaing that he could no longer party with them and he said, “Hey you’re wrong I can still do all the things I use to, it’s not that I can’t it’s that I don’t want too!” That’s a good word as you see the Lord has changed us so much that He has changed our wants, He doesn’t just say you can’t.  That’s not to say that our flesh isn’t tempted, it still has the same appetites it used to but God has given us a new heart which has new wants and all we need to do is realize that our hearts need to rule over our flesh.
  3. Vs. 20a Par for the course: Finally Jesus reminds them that this is part of His promises. Part of His promises? Yeh you know the promise of John 16:33 where Jesus promises you that “In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” This is a great word from Jesus to His disciples because rejection and per pressure tends to cause us to conform and compromise in order to fit in. There is a basic human need for social contact and we all want to be liked so Jesus reminds them not to seek to conform but rather to continue to be transformed. Hey Christian you are in good company because those who make their home in the dark hated Jesus love and light before us. Our responsibility is to abide in Jesus’ love and reach out to folks but that doesn’t always mean that the world will respond back with love and acceptance. Our over popularity with those in the world ought to cause us to ask, “Has the world become more Christian or has the Christian become more worldly?” Friend’s our identity and security is in being called the friend of Jesus not the friend of the world. We aren’t going to get a pass on this as we aren’t greater than our master so we might as well expect that there will be some who won’t like the new you because they are in love with the old them! Brother Andrew once quoted Psalm 18:29 to those folks in countries where they are being persecuted, “By my God I can run through a troop; by Him I can leap over a wall”. He asks them, “What do you think it takes to run through a troop and to leap over a wall?” The answer he gets is usually something about faith. Then he says, “No, what it takes is a troop and a wall. How are you going to run through a troop if there is no troop? How are you going to leap over a wall if there is no wall?” There must be opposition, persecution, pressure and resistance or you wouldn’t ever know that you have been equipped by God to run and leap over obstacles. Ah but read the rest of verse 20 and you see that opposition and obstacles doesn’t mean defeat it means victory and hearts will be transformed along the way. A.W. Towzer once made this observation, “He who God uses mightily He must wound deeply”. It seems to me that there is a correlation to fruitfulness and plowing up the ground that the seed may take hold.

Vs. 21-25 Hating His love

Vs. 21-25 Next thing Jesus does is reveal the reason for the world’s hatred and it is to be found in its love for sin. There is a disobedience that is based upon ignorance, like speeding when we didn’t see or know that the speed limit changed now we are still guilty as the oft quoted Roman law reminds us that ignorance of the law is no excuse. But when someone knows the truth yet chooses to disobey they are doing so not based upon ignorance but upon willfulness, you see with knowledge comes responsibility to act according to that knowledge. The primary reason for the world’s hatred and that is the word of God. Friend we have no right to alter the word’s meaning or change its practice in our lives especially not to avoid then world’s distain and wrath.  

The folks who are engaged in hate us are outside of God’s love for them and are prisoners of the things they equate freedom with. You see with the world they see the definition of “freedom” as free to do anything we want without any conscientious or outside restraint. Ah but you and I define “freedom” as free from anything that keep us from the conscience presence of the love of God. What’s even more remarkable is that Jesus will say in 16:2 that those who hate us are often quite religious. Friend religion has always been and always will be the enemy of relationship. Paul spoke of this in 1 Tim. 1:12-14 saying, “How thankful I am to Christ Jesus our Lord for considering me trustworthy and appointing me to serve him, even though I used to scoff at the name of Christ. I hunted down his people, harming them in every way I could. But God had mercy on me because I did it in ignorance and unbelief. Oh, how kind and gracious the Lord was! He filled me completely with faith and the love of Christ Jesus.” Amazing how those who spend their entire life studying about God can be so ignorant of Him and His ways. But God knew it was going to happen that the religious people would hate Jesus without cause and here Jesus quotes Psalm 35:19 and 69:4 which speak of this. I remember years ago a man and a woman who were living together came into my office saying that the gal’s grown son who was not a believer was persecuting them for their faith in Christ. But when I heard them retell his complaint that they were always preaching to him about his need for Jesus he came back with “well why aren’t you living it yourself”. I’m afraid at times people hate me with cause far more than they hate me without cause.      

      

Vs. 26-16:4 Reminded of His goodness

Vs. 26-4 But Jesus goes on to say that He has given us what is necessary to deal with this kind of hatred from the world and that is the Holy Spirit and He goes on to tell them of four things the Holy Spirit provides us.

  1. Vs. 26 Bear witness to us: The first thing Jesus says is that the Holy Spirit will bear witness to us. There is an often mistranslation of this passage which suggests that the Holy Spirit will bear witness to the world and indirectly that is true but only because He first bears witness to us. That is what these two verses say, verse 26 “whom I shall send to you, He will testify of Me” Jesus says then in verse 27 through the Holy Spirit testifying to us we will intern “also bear witness”. You see the Holy Spirit is dwelling in us reminding us constantly of the goodness of God, the love of God and the continual presence of Jesus in the midst of the world hating us. There is no greater illustration of this then in Acts 7:55-56 where we are told that “Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed steadily upward into heaven and saw the glory of God, and he saw Jesus standing in the place of honor at God’s right hand. And he told them, “Look, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing in the place of honor at God’s right hand!” Friends all we to endure the worlds’ hatred of us is the Holy Spirit constantly revealing to us Jesus presence, those who have the constant presence of Jesus in their lives by means Holy Spirit never have any problem being Jesus’ witness because His presence is constantly visible to us and those in the world as we are told of Stephen’s case in Acts 6:15 where “everyone in the council stared at Stephen because his face became as bright as an angel’s.” We don’t need the mechanics of witnessing we need the reality of Jesus given us by the Holy Spirit.
  2. Vs. 27-1 Reminds us of what Jesus has done and is doing for us: The 2nd thing the Holy Spirit will do for us living in a world that hates is continually remind us of what Jesus has done for us and is doing in us. That is understood by the words “You will also bear witness” (present tense) “because you have been with Me from the beginning” (past tense). Friends that is really what witnessing for Jesus is all about it is simply us telling folks of what Jesus has done and is doing in our lives. There is something about the continual reminder of the presence of Jesus in our lives and what He has done and is doing that will keep us from being made to stumble Jesus says.
  3. Vs. 2 -3 He will stand by you and keep you steady: The third thing the Holy Spirit will do for us living in a world that hates us is keep us strong in the face of the opposition. He does He do this? Well reminding you that you are a child of the King of King’s and the best friend of the Lord of Lord’s. Paul wrote of just such a time in 2 Tim. 4:17 when he stood before the Caesar Nero saying, “the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that the message might be preached fully through me, and that all the Gentiles might hear. And I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion.” Friend the Holy Spirit causes us to be bold and courageous in the face of the world’s hatred. A third of the gospel of John is taken up with this one evening as Jesus is telling it like it is and speaking to them ahead of time so that they can reflect back and say, “Oh this is what Jesus was talking about that night, now I understand.” There are some things we Christian’s can expect and the first one was that was don’t expect the world to like you just because you love them. Don’t be surprised when those that hate you the most will those that are very religious who think snuffing you out is doing God a favor. Paul spoke of what he had done prior to knowing Jesus to King Agrippa in Acts 26:9-11 Saying, “I myself thought I must do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. This I also did in Jerusalem, and many of the saints I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them. And I punished them often in every synagogue and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly enraged against them, I persecuted them even to foreign cities.” Paul clearly thought he was doing God a service but wiping out Christians.
  4. Vs. 4 He reminds us that we are in a war and we winning side:  No matter how much the world hates us we have read the end of the book and we already know how it turns out Jesus wins and we are on His team. Hear what God told Joshua in 1:9 “Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” The battle is inevitable but the victory is certain march on! This ought to cause us to live as one martyred missionary uttered in his final words “No reserve; no retreat; no regrets.”